Tipping your hat to those who serve you

Ashley Dewaele, a waitress at Main Street BBQ in Wyanet, says she enjoys her work. While she admits there are some trying times, Dewaele said her favorite part about waitressing is helping people enjoy their day.

WYANET – Here’s a tip … Today is National Waiters and Waitresses Day. Get out to that favorite restaurant to celebrate!

Every year, May 21 helps recognize the value and importance of a good waiter or waitress.

Ashley Dewaele, 26, of Main Street BBQ has been waitressing since she was 14. Her skill has allowed her to work from a small cafe to a big, fancy restaurant and everything in between.

“It’s something either you can or you can’t do,” she said.

Dewaele admits waitressing was tough at first, but when she started, she was bound and determined to learn the ropes to become successful.

Today, through her success and love for the job, Dewaele feels she was always meant to be waitress. People ask her all the time when she’s going to get a “real job.”

“It’s not about the title; it’s not about the hours you work, but it’s about enjoying what you do,” she said. “This job has opened my eyes, and if I love it, then why should I change? It’s something I know how to do, and I love to do it.”

Dewaele said her favorite part about waitressing is helping people enjoy their day.

“I love feeding people, getting people together for birthdays and holidays. Those are my favorite times,” she said.

Like any other job, however, waitressing also has its difficult times. Dewaele said when there’s a packed kitchen and the restaurant is full on a Friday night, things can get “tense and crazy.”

Balancing orders, greeting and seating customers and remembering which meal each person ordered isn’t always the easiest, especially during a rush.

“I love knowing I can get through it though, and knowing I made those people happy at the end of the day makes it all worthwhile,” she said.

Being a single mother, waitressing has helped Dewaele through personal tough life times.

“When it first happened, I was really down and out for a little while, and I felt like waitressing got hard for me because you have to come in with a positive attitude,” she said.

Waitressing taught her a good life lesson – leave personal life at the door when coming to work.

“Guaranteed by the end of the night or at the end of my shift, I was in a better mood because of the people I was serving,” she said. “Working with the public and doing something for them makes me feel better, and it has opened my eyes ... It’s a mood lifter for me”